Crew Available: Crewing as a female. Sketchy vs. Otherwise

[SalingSue]

Originally Posted by Wotname

@Shawna, I would not crew for anyone who is not willing to give you the identification of the vessel i.e. the flag state and the associated registration number and name of the vessel.

There is zero reason to withhold this information to a potential crew member.

Would you provide your personal info to them?
SS, DOB, bank info? Real world the capt has more skin in the game than the inexperienced crew.

I just don’t know why you would need anything other than the MMSI, name and port, if you are honestly just wanting it for your family to track the boat.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Wotname

@Shawna, I would not crew for anyone who is not willing to give you the identification of the vessel i.e. the flag state and the associated registration number and name of the vessel.

There is zero reason to withhold this information to a potential crew member.

Couldn't agree more.

Originally Posted by SalingSue

Would you provide your personal info to them?
SS, DOB, bank info? Real world the capt has more skin in the game than the inexperienced crew.

I just don’t know why you would need anything other than the MMSI, name and port, if you are honestly just wanting it for your family to track the boat.

SS, DOB bank info, really, nowhere was that suggestion raised except by you, I kind of feel sorry for you if the simple straight forward question put induces this level of fear in you.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by SalingSue

Would you provide your personal info to them?
SS, DOB, bank info? Real world the capt has more skin in the game than the inexperienced crew.

I just don’t know why you would need anything other than the MMSI, name and port, if you are honestly just wanting it for your family to track the boat.

There is nothing "personal" about a vessel's registration details.


MMSI is useless for locating a vessel unless it is broadcasting and being tracked by an AIS aggregator such as marinetraffic.com Even then it is of very limited value for Class B signals away from shore based receiving stations.

[Cool Hand Luke]

As a Captain... I'd be happy to give you my vessel registration number and MMSI and vessel name and vessel home port. If you were my crew... I'd expect full name and a copy of a passport. It's a two way street... I need to trust you but you should also feel fully comfortable to trust me.

If you ever want to sail under my flag... let me know

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by SalingSue

Would you provide your personal info to them?
SS, DOB, bank info? Real world the capt has more skin in the game than the inexperienced crew.

I just don’t know why you would need anything other than the MMSI, name and port, if you are honestly just wanting it for your family to track the boat.

SS, since you identify as male in your profile, but decline to offer any other personal info, I don't know if you are really a Sue, and doubt strongly if you are a sailor... at least one who does international passages.

Full disclosure of pertinent details going both ways (skipper--crew) is quite important for security of both. You are worrying about some nebulous risk to the skipper's identity, the OP is worrying about trusting her life and well being to a stranger. The skipper is concerned about shipping a stranger w ho will be in charge of his boat whilst he sleeps. They both will be scrutinized by foreign officials, and woe to those who fail to satisfy their investigations. These are serious considerations IMO.

Reluctance to provide full identity info would indicate to me that the skip has something to hide, and I'd not be willing to venture to sea with him. We're not talking about fiscal stuff, but basic personal identity and ownership info, stuff that enters into many facets of cruising and voyaging. Full disclosure both ways is essential to trust and compatible shipmateship (if that is a word).

I've often posted that the two most dangerous things one can do on a boat are to crew for an unknown skipper and to take on unknown crew.

I stand by my advice to reject this opportunity to sail.

Jim

[SalingSue]

I would be more than happy to provide the MMSI or something like that, but if you insist on wanting info that doesn’t make sense for you to demand, and moreover are too uneducated to know what is important for your stated use (MMSI) and isn’t even important for your need, than accuse me of being sketchy for my confusion as to why you wanted said pointless info, well guess that resolved itself.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Shawna

Hi everyone!!
Haven't been on the site in a while. I have had a few crewing experiences and hope to keep them going. I've had to pass a couple up because of not feeling comfortable with the amount of information available that could be used to track me down in an emergency situation.
I've been told to give your family ashore the registration number and name of the vessel as well as the boat owners name, and any other info available.
My question to all in the know is:
Is it a red flag if they don't want to give your family their boats registration number?
I had a boat owner tell me someone could take a loan out against his boat and screw up his credit, but to my understanding, proof of ownership would be needed for that. Should I try to convince him of this or just quietly take my leave? Most had no problem surrendering their number. I haven't yet taken a trip with someone who refuses. Is there any legitimacy to this boat owners claim? Your input is greatly appreciated!!

If it feels wrong, don't do it. Don't talk yourself into it and don't overanalyze it.

I would find it a little weird if potential volunteer crew asked for my registration number, but I wouldn't refuse to give it.


Why, however, do you want a reg number? That is pretty useless information. Ask for the MMSI number as others have suggested. Owner name & phone number, vessel name, hailing port, MMSI.

[Fore and Aft]

Shawna if the boats Australian registered for offshore sailing then it's easy to find the registration number on the AMSA website. Just for a trial I got Dales (regular contributor) registration number in less than a minute.
I think it's more than fair that you get some contact details of the skipper if you are crewing on a yacht. These link's below shows that things can happen.
Cheers
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.the...08-gdw6ga.html

https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime...ver-been-found

[Benz]

As someone who boat-hitched a lot in my youth, I can add to the others' advice about following your gut. I turned down a lot of cruises from people who gave off a creepy vibe. One guy wanted references, and he was just going three days from Isla Mujeres to the Dry Tortugas. It's his right to require whatever he needs to feel comfortable, but he sure limits his crew options thereby. The better owners would usually invite me aboard for a day or two before casting off, and there could be a mutual shakedown of personalities without a huge commitment.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by StuM

There is nothing "personal" about a vessel's registration details.

MMSI is useless for locating a vessel unless it is broadcasting and being tracked by an AIS aggregator such as marinetraffic.com Even then it is of very limited value for Class B signals away from shore based receiving stations.

I agree there's nothing personal about a vessel's reg number.


But MMSI is not indeed useless for IDENTIFYING a vessel -- which is what we are talking about, not locating it. On the contrary, the MMSI is the worldwide unique identifier of the vessel. Why does the Coast Guard always ask for MMSI, and not for reg numbers?


As a bonus you might very well even LOCATE the vessel, with an MMSI number. Try that with a reg number.

[Sherpa17]

You might occasionally check out The Triton. There are passage opportunities posted there.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by SalingSue

And her paranoia is cool?

Some person asks a bunch of questions about your boat and you don’t want to tell them a number you mistakingly think is sensitive, honestly my bet is he doesn’t know it’s easy to find anyways, I wouldn’t write it off over this, talk to the person on the phone and get a feel for them, that will tell you much more than not wanting to give some number.

I’d also wager more boat are stolen/titles forged than women taken as sea slaves like some pirate movie.

I don't see the OP's questions as paranoia, and for that matter I didn't get a sense that she was asking a bunch of questions, just one in particular.

Any of us who have been around the cruising community know how careful women have become about going alone onto a boat with a man they don't really know, for good reason. I think that they are being careful, not paranoid. I frankly get worried myself about what my women friends might be getting into when they mention the possibility of going as crew with someone. More than once I have approached the potential captain myself on behalf of my friends to "get a feel for him".

As you mention, she should "talk to the person on the phone and get a feel for them" which she did, and the feeling wasn't good.

She should trust her instincts. Instincts can be wrong but she has little else to go on.

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by Wotname

@Shawna, I would not crew for anyone who is not willing to give you the identification of the vessel i.e. the flag state and the associated registration number and name of the vessel.

There is zero reason to withhold this information to a potential crew member.

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

I've often posted that the two most dangerous things one can do on a boat are to crew for an unknown skipper and to take on unknown crew.

I stand by my advice to reject this opportunity to sail.

Jim

What Wotname, and Jim Cate (always golden), said Shawna.

I'm a woman sailor who has had loads of fun and learned lots while crewing. They were always laid-back, transparent and friendly owners. (And of course, when they are transparent, it makes you feel comfortable being transparent.)

In my own case - only once (breaking Jim's cardinal rule) - I hopped in a last-minute delivery from the Caribbean to Florida with an acquaintance, Marie. (We figured two gals and the one guy skipper would provide a measure of balance for someone we didn't know too well.) It was late in the delivery when he let something slip that we became aware he was using the boat to smuggle cocaine.

I've never been so terrified in all my life. We both were terrified. We used his off-watch time while he was asleep to try and figure out what to do. We didn't know where he had the stuff hidden and, as you might imagine, any scenarios we contemplated to find and get rid of the stuff would have woken him up and/or put ourselves in danger, depending on how angry he might get and whether he also had arms on board.

We decided to clear in normally and if it came to it, throw ourselves at the mercy of the authorities. We thought, well, at least our stories would corroborate each other's...

So the way it went down was, the customs officer came aboard, did a cursory inspection (this was before the days of just-say-no and drug-sniffing dogs), chatted to both Marie and me, signed the paperwork... and left. We already had our duffles packed, so we grabbed our bags and got out of there fast!

As future protection for any other Islander we knew who also worked as casual crew, we passed along our story and warned people off of crewing for that guy.

Trust your instincts! Give that one a pass. There'll be another.

Fair winds,
LittleWing77

[valhalla360]

Probably paranoia on both sides but if it doesn't feel comfortable, better to walk away.

[250224]

Originally Posted by Shawna

...red flag if they don't want to give your family their boats registration number
...not feeling comfortable with the amount of information available that could be used to track me down in an emergency situation.
...Is it a red flag if they don't want to give your family their boats registration number?
...Should I try to convince him...Most had no problem surrendering their number

Why would a boat owner provide random strangers (which you are at the beginning) with such irrelevant registration information? -- On the other hand of course it is very very important to make sure that one can trust each other (incl. personal identification, passport etc.) and that personal traits are more or less compatible.

If you say "track me down in ... emergency". What do you mean with this? A helicopter that picks you up on too strong winds? Relatives which send out the coast guard if there is a delay?

Surrendering their number? ??? Why not directly discuss if or how to track the boat/you. Ask about MMSI and AIS, or maybe satellite phone? Also discuss "romantic interests" and of course security in general (Epirb, life raft, procedures, experience etc.).

An owner withholding the (unimportant) registry number might do this as a polite decline. Your request being a canary for possible hassle to come. An inexperienced freaked out crew on e.g. bad weather can be a big liability.